


Interstellar

by idrilhadhafang



Series: The Broken Edge AUs [21]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: AU of my personal canon, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Jedi Ben Solo, M/M, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, mini-Ben Solo breakdown, relatively, your canon is my AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-23 00:31:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11978334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Instead of establishing the Order on Yavin IV, Luke Skywalker wanders throughout the galaxy with his Jedi Order. While traveling to Yavin IV, his nephew, Ben Solo, meets Poe Dameron, where they strike up a slow burning attraction.





	Interstellar

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Odyssey
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> Author's Notes: Bit of an AU where I try to make things more Bloodline compliant. Also funny that canon is now my AU, but there you go.

 

The first time that Ben meets the pilot, he's on Yavin IV, he's already having a bad day, and he wants to get away from just about all of it. He supposes that he should get used to Master Naris' jabs, but there was something about one of them, about his competence as a Jedi, that got to Ben the most.

That still gets to Ben, now that he really thinks about it.

The Yavin IV jungles are crowded with trees even as Ben heads towards them, his blood all but boiling.

_I'm not a disgrace I'm not a disgrace I'm not I'm not I'm not --_

He pounds on the trees and screams. It's not the most mature thing to do, but he finds that it makes him feel better. Physical purging of the anger. Physical purging of what's inside him. Sometimes he swears that it's all building up in him, waiting to burst...

It's bursting out right now. Coursing. He pounds on the trees, screaming, the occasional obscenity escaping his lips. And finally he's just too tired to pound against the trees. The anger's passed. It always does.

Footsteps. There's a man in a flightsuit approaching with a droid at his side -- a very odd droid, Ben thinks, with two spheres making up its body and head. Ben stumbles to his feet, only to fall back down in the mud.

Just Ben's luck a complete stranger gets to see him like this.

"Lost?" the pilot says, and Ben gets a better look at him. He's quite handsome, Ben can't help but think, with thick, curly black hair and brown eyes that are terribly expressive, almost liquid. Even his voice fits him, Ben can't help but think -- it's smooth, musical, mellow. He's quite handsome, and his face is open and kind. Despite everything else, Ben can't help but feel a sort of safety with him. This is a good man, he knows. This is a kind man.

"I guess I am." Ben says. His hair's a mess. He wishes that he hadn't stormed off like that, but there had been something about Master Naris' comment that hit harder than usual.

The pilot offers his hand, and Ben takes it. There's something about it where it seems to be all but swallowed up in Ben's hand. Ben feels huge, but then again, a lot of things seem to be smaller and more delicate than Ben Solo.

"You okay?" the pilot says, and Ben feels tears prick his eyes, humiliatingly enough. He takes a deep breath, trying to hold them back.

"I am," he says. "Just had a bad day."

"I can see that." The pilot looks over Ben in concern. "You're covered in mud."

"What? Oh. Yeah." Ben looks down at his robes, which are stained with mud from where he fell down. Just the capper to an already embarrassing loss of dignity. Ben Solo, eighteen years old and still thinking it's okay to pound on trees and kick them after Master Naris made an insulting comment about him -- again.

"I heard you shouting outside," the pilot says. "Are you okay?"

"Stars, you heard me?" Ben can imagine that he's blushing as red as Yavin's surface.

"You were pretty loud."

Ben sighed. "Like I said, I had a bad day."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?"

"Just...stuff."

Yeah, Ben thinks. That just about sums it up.

***

Going in for caf is surprisingly comfortable, Ben thinks. It isn't one of those things that he often gets to do, considering that he and the other Jedi are basically wanderers; even the name of their ship reflects who they are. The caf is good, and there's something cozy about changing into new Jedi robes and taking a sip of caf. The pilot's eyes...they seem to be genuinely interested in him, actually. They're lovely eyes, Ben thinks despite himself. Very soft, very expressive.

"I didn't really catch your name," says the pilot.

"I'm Ben," Ben says. "Ben Solo."

"Solo? As in Han Solo's son?"

"Yeah."

The pilot's smile is brilliant. "I've heard stories about Han Solo. He's definitely something."

"Yeah." Ben just wishes he got to see him more often. He doesn't get to see his father often, but when he does, it's a joy. "What's your name?"

"Poe. Poe Dameron." And even that simple name sounds beautiful in Poe's mellifluous voice.

"It's nice to meet you."

"You too. So," Poe says, "Are you a Jedi?"

"I am." Not a very good one, but still...

And even talking about what they're doing, Ben wonders if it's possible to drown in those beautiful brown eyes.   
He's already being drawn in, drawn in by those eyes, by Poe's smile, and for a moment it doesn't matter what happened earlier because here, it's safe. Poe's safe.

***

He finds ways to talk to Poe whenever he can. When Uncle Luke's searching for Jedi artifacts, Ben takes the opportunity to talk to Poe, whether the latter's working on his droid BB-8, or his X-wing, or anything. When Poe's practicing flying, Ben takes the opportunity to watch him, and he has to admit that he's in awe at how beautiful Poe looks in the air. (Then again, Ben realizes with a jolt, he's beautiful in general) It's one time after one of Poe's flying lessons that Ben gets to actually ask him about it.

"You're good," Ben says. "Really good. How do you do it?"

Poe shrugs. "I've been practicing ever since I was a kid," he says. "My mother actually taught me how to fly. She was a pilot during the Battle of Endor, so...she definitely had some tricks up her sleeve."

"Your mother sounds cool."

"She was." Poe smiles sadly. "She died when I was eight."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Poe says. "It's not your fault."

"Still, it has to be difficult," Ben says. "Losing your mother."

"I still have some stuff of hers," Poe says.

It's actually near one of the tallest trees that Ben has ever seen -- and it's humming with Force energy, practically humming -- that they stop, and Poe gestures to it. "My parents actually planted that tree when they settled down here," he says.

Ben places a hand on the bark, feeling it hum beneath his fingertips. "It's beautiful."

They remain together under the tree, and Ben swears it's like they feel closer together than he has with anyone before.

***

Poe has to go off to war, of course, and Ben has to go off with his uncle. He hates the fact that it has to be this way, but he still finds ways to keep in touch with his friend, and when they do show up on other planets, they take plenty of time to catch up. Ben finds the catch up times the most natural, where they're comfortable together, though he finds he wishes he could heal some of Poe's scars, and some of the war experiences he's had. It's a miracle Poe is still so cheerful and caring after some of the things he's been through, Ben thinks. It's one of many reasons that Ben...

Does he admire him? He knows that he feels a sort of warmth and closeness with Poe, but that could just be friendship. He likes Poe's company. Poe is funny and kind and caring. That's all, isn't it? It's the same sort of friendship he feels with Thomas and Annie. If he feels a bit fluttery when their hands brush or when Poe flies, it's just a bit of hero worship, right?

"So you and Poe..." Mike says.

"We're just friends." Yeah, Ben thinks. Friends. Nothing more.

***

The warmth doesn't really let up. There's something about sitting close together on one of those times when Poe comes home from war, and just talking together, laughing, where Ben feels at ease. And maybe a bit fluttery. It's one of those instances where they're sitting together and Ben can all but count Poe's eyelashes, notice the crinkles around his eyes when he laughs. Is this love? Is this what love feels like? Ben's been in the Order so long that he doesn't know.

Ben laughs with him, all the while that fluttery feeling never letting up. When Poe becomes serious again, the fluttery feeling doesn't fade. He's so beautiful. So kind. So caring.

"So how are you?" Poe says.

"Still looking." Ben takes a deep breath. "My uncle's still looking for different temples. Like he usually does. He's looking for the first Jedi Temple that ever existed."

"That's really neat!" Poe says.

It's not as neat as it sounds, of course -- most of it feels like they're on a wild bantha chase. But Ben finds himself smiling nonetheless. Being in Poe's company...he feels comfortable, somehow. He feels safe.

***

It's one evening, this time on Coruscant, that Ben manages to vocalize his feelings, and he knows that somehow there is no turning back from here. They're close, very close, and Ben can count the eyelashes surrounding Poe's eyes. Poe has such beautiful, enthralling eyes...

"I like you," Ben says. "As more than a friend, that is."

"You love me?" Poe sounds shocked, but delighted.

"Yes." Thinking about it, the times they share together, things of that nature, Ben finds that it's easy to love Poe. Too easy.

"Ben, I..." Poe swallows. "I love you too."

They're so close now. Ben wonders if he's going to fall into Poe's eyes. Even as they kiss, Ben knows that there is no going back now -- and he loves every minute of it. Poe's lips are so soft, so full, and they taste so very sweet, and long after they break away, Ben can still taste how sweet they are.

"I shouldn't have." Ben wets his lips, tasting Poe on them. "I love you, but -- "

"And that's what matters, doesn't it? To the Corellian hells with the Order and what they think. We love each other."

"We do."

"I love you." Poe's looking at him like Ben means everything to him. "There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

Ben pauses. Then he says, "I was just stupid."

"You weren't. Ben...the more I got to know you, the more I loved you. You're a beautiful, charming, funny, kind man and it's too easy to love you."

"You too." Ben wishes he could say something more eloquent.

"Don't be ashamed. Or afraid." Poe places his forehead against Ben's, and here, in this moment, they are lovers, afraid and yet impassioned in their new feelings. Ben knows that there's no turning back now.   
And in a way, he doesn't think he wants to turn back.

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
